Buckle.



H. MORTARA. BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 14. 1914.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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TTED STATES PAT *5 "i @FFTQE.

HUGO MORTARA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO KABO'CORSET 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed September 14, 1914. Serial No. 861,611.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO MORTARA, a subject of the King of Italy residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

The buckle of the present invention relates to that type more particularly used with suspending straps, for the purpose of adjusting the length of the same.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a buckle which is cheap and simple of construction, and which will firmly grip the fabric so as to prevent any pulling of the same through the buckle except when the clamping member is thrown in position to permit adjustment of the length of the strap.

A further object of the invention is to.

form a buckle which is of light construction, employing a wire frame and a backing member on this frame in the form of a sheet or plate of metal so that the fabric is clamped between the acting edge of the clamping member and this metal back.

A further object of the invention is to so form this back as to provide a means for fixing one free end of the fabric to said back and to so arrange the parts as to permit the fabric to be threaded through the buckle in a manner to have all of the metal at the back of the buckle protected against contact with the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the component parts of the buckle whereby when the fabric is threaded through the same no waste of fabric will result from the threading operation and the fabric, at the point of engagement with the buckle will lie relatively flat so that no lump will be produced by the attachment of the buckle to the fabric.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l is an elevation showing a suspending strap with the buckle of the present invention attached thereto; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail show ing the strap attached to the buckle but in unthreaded condition; and Fig. 4: is a view of the blank from which the back of the buckle is formed.

In the art to which the present invention relates there are three qualities which are essential to a commercially practical buckle. The first is the gripping of the fabric in a manner whereby it will not pull through the buckle except when the clamping member is moved into position for adjusting the strap. The secondis the covering of the back of the buckle by the fabric, thereby protecting the wearer against contact with the metal of the back and the third is the fiat condition in which the entire device lies when the buckle is attached to the fabric. This latter feature is necessary in order that a lump may not be produced by reason of affixing the buckle to the fabric. The buckle of the present invention contains the three characteristics noted above. I

Referring to thedrawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a suspending strap 5 is shown which is made of the usual elastic commonly employed for such purposes. The fabric when threaded through the buckle is looped at its lower end as at 6, and suspended from this loop is a hanger or band 7 carrying a garment supporter 8. This hanger and garment supporter may be of any suitable style and arrangement and their construction and arrangement have nothing to do with the present invention which relates entirely to the adjusting buckle.

The buckle which forms the subject matter of the present invention consists of a wire frame 9 which is formed to provide a top bar 10 and side bars 11 terminating at their lower end in inturned ends 12 constituting the lower bar. 011 these inturned ends is mounted a clamping member 13 consisting of the usual finger piece and clamping edge. Aflixed to the side of the buckle andv as shown at a point medially or approximately medially thereof, is a back 14. formed of a single piece of metal and comprising ears 15 and oppositely disposed tongues 16 and 17. These are shown clearly in Fig. 4. The tongue 17 is bent back upon itself as per the dotted lines in Fig. 4: to

produce a U-shaped recess 18, best shown soi back 14, and thence to the rear of the bar 10 of the frame 9.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that by this arrangement the metal of the buckle at the side toward the wearer is entirely covered by the fabric of the strap, producing what is called arustless back and preventing the metal of the buckle from coming in contact with the wearer. As will also be observed from Fig. 2, when the clamping member 13 is thrown to clamping position, in which position it is shown in this figure, the fabric is clamped between the acting edge of the clamping member and the metal surface of tlie tongue 16 of the back 14. This, as is'well known in the art, is a very efficient method of clamping, and holds the fabric effectively againstmovement through the buckle. It will be also observed from Fig. 2 that two crimps are placed in the fabric, one when it passes beneath the bar 10 and the other where the clamping member forces it against the tongue 16 and: beneath the U-shaped portion 18 of the back l4: so that by means of these crimps and the metal against metal clamping action of the clamp and the tongue 16, the fabric is held, when the clamp is thrown to clamping position, against any pulling through the buckle, when, however, an adjustment is desired the Simple turning of the clamping member will release the acting edge of the clamp from engagement with the fabric and the fabric may then be pulled in either direction through the buckle to adjust the length of the same. It will be noted that the sides 11 of the wire frame are bent back or offset at their upper and lower ends'so that the bar 10 and the ends 12 lie in substantially'the same plane. This enables the crimping of the fabric heretofore referred to.

By referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the clamping edge of the clamping member 13 is eccentric with respect to the ends 12 of the frame. This is provided so that when the clamping member is thrown out into unclamping position arelatively wide space will be provided between the clamping member and the tongue 16 to allow of the easy threading of the fabric.

I claim:

A buckle comprising a frame formed of a single piece of metal, said frame being composed of an upper bar, and lower inturned ends joined together by side bars, said side bars being offset with respect to the remainder of the frame, a back secured to said frame, said back being formed of a blank configured to provide oppositely extending tongues and oppositely disposed ears arranged at right angles to the tongues,

said ears beingv isecured to the side bars of said frame, a lever member hinged to the lower inturned ends of the frame, the lower of said tongues forming a backing surface against which the lever acts, the upper of a.

said tongues being bent into U-shaped formation with the open end thereof upward, and serving as a retainer for one end ofa webbing, substantially as described.

HUGO MORTARA. lVitnesses:

LEONARD S. FLORSHEIM,

JOHN A. Bonn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). CL 

